


Only Us

by selinameyer



Category: Superstore (TV)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, ya know that trope 'break the cutie'??? ya that's what this fic is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-23 06:06:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9643766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/selinameyer/pseuds/selinameyer
Summary: Pre-shift came and went, and there was still no sign of Jonah. Amy had sent him several texts and had yet to receive a response. A part of her was beginning to worry. If he wasn’t going to come in, she would have heard from him by the time opening rolled around. But as she looked down at her watch and noted that it was a quarter past ten and he still hadn’t shown up, she decided she would reach out to Glenn and see if he had heard from Jonah. Someone had to know where he was.





	1. Chapter

**Author's Note:**

> The idea to this story came from watching an interview where Ben brought up the fact that Jonah was raised with money and had the option to go work for his dad's law firm, or something along the lines of that. It was actually only supposed to be a one shot, but when I hit 5,000 words and was nowhere near being finished, I realized that was no longer an option. That being said, when it comes to these two all I've written so far is Jonah being there for Amy, and decided I would flip the switch and throw him into some turmoil. Also, here are a few casting suggestions for the members of Jonah's family you meet in this!  
> Elizabeth: Julia Louis-Dreyfus  
> Charlie: Reid Scott  
> Laura: Tatiana Maslany
> 
> Those are just the folks I had in mind when writing the characters. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy the first half (third?) of this!

“Where’s Jonah?” Glenn asked, the moment Amy entered the break room for their daily pre-shift meeting.

She had to admit that it was unusual for her to enter the break room in the mornings on her own these days. She and Jonah had been spending a lot of time together since she and Adam had formally separated.

They weren’t dating. She made that very clear to everyone in the store. They were solely friends. He was being a good friend, a great friend, and making sure she was okay and had someone to talk to when she needed it. Things between them were solely platonic.

They had started carpooling to work together on Jonah’s insistence, for the sake of the environment, now that the Trump administration had decided that they were going to try to defund the EPA. Amy had only agreed because he promised to drive three out of their five work days, meaning she would only have to wake up earlier two days a week. Besides, the two days she did drive, Jonah would get into her car with breakfast.

But this morning she was on her own, which was a little odd for her seeing as she had gotten accustomed to the company.

“He told me he would drive himself this morning. I thought he’d be here by now.”

Jonah was a stickler for punctuality. The fact that he hadn’t arrived before her was a little odd; he hated being late to anything. Amy had literally witnessed him get so worked up over potentially being late because of traffic once that she had made him pull over and take a deep breath before he had an anxiety attack. So for him to be actually running late was out of character.

“Well, I’ll give it another five minutes before starting pre-shift for him and any other stragglers.”

Amy nodded her acknowledgment before taking a seat beside Cheyenne at one of the tables and dropping her bag into the empty seat beside her. She might as well have a seat saved for him. One of the seats beside her was always his.

“Amy, why are you alone today? Where’s Jonah?” Cheyenne asked as she turned to face her.

“He’s running late. I’m not his keeper, Chey.”

“Yeah, but like, you guys are  _ always  _ together. So like, it’s weird seeing you walk in without him.”

“Cheyenne’s right. You two are kind of an entity.” Mateo commented as he scrolled through his phone.

 

Amy rolled her eyes. There was nothing more annoying than the assumption that a man and a woman couldn’t be friends without there being anything going on.

 

“Hey Mateo, how’s Jeff?”

She chuckled as he groaned before standing and sitting at an empty seat across the room, beside Sandra.

“Amy, can you tell Jonah that Harmonica really likes the bear he got her? She looooves chewing on it.” Cheyenne pulled out her phone, showing Amy several pictures of her daughter chewing on a stuffed brown bear.

“That’s actually really cute.”

“I know!”

“I’ll make sure to let him know when I see him.”

“Okay ladies and gents!! It is seven-thirty five which means we open in twenty-five minutes, so it’s time for us to have our daily pre-shift meeting!!”

Amy groaned.

* * *

Pre-shift came and went, and there was still no sign of Jonah. Amy had sent him several texts and had yet to receive a response. A part of her was beginning to worry. If he wasn’t going to come in, she would have heard from him by the time opening rolled around. But as she looked down at her watch and noted that it was a quarter past ten and he  _ still _ hadn’t shown up, she decided she would reach out to Glenn and see if he had heard from Jonah. Someone had to know where he was.

Just as she approached the back hallway leading to Glenn’s office, she spotted Jonah, heading in the same direction.

“Where the hell have you been?” She demanded as she stopped directly in front of him. It took her a moment to notice that something about him was off.

It was his hair. It wasn’t as coiffed as it usually was. It actually looked like he hadn’t had time to style it at all. Aside from his hair, he didn’t have his vest or name tag on, both of which he usually kept in the car to make sure he never forgot it.

“Are you okay?” Amy asked, changing her tone as he tried to pass her and stopping him by placing a hand on his chest.

“Amy, please. I have to talk to Glenn, this can wait.” He responded quietly as he looked down at her.

That’s when she noticed the tension in his jaw and the redness of his eyes.

“Hey.” She said softly, moving her hand to his arm. “Jonah, what’s up?”

“My dad had a heart attack.”

* * *

There was nothing unusual about the way his morning had started. It was a typical Tuesday morning. His alarm had gone off at five-thirty. He brushed his teeth, did some light morning yoga to wake him up, followed by a shower. Just as he was about to brewing some coffee, his phone had gone off, which had caught him off guard. No one called him before seven a.m., especially not his mother, who didn’t get up before seven-thirty. So when he looked down at his phone and saw her name and picture on his screen, he knew something had to be up.

He had answered, his suspicion confirmed when the moment he muttered the first syllable of the word ‘hey’, his mother immediately blurted out that his father had had a heart attack.

He couldn’t believe it at first. His dad was the healthiest person he knew. He didn’t smoke, he only drank on special occasions, and he went running every morning before work. Jonah had spent the next hour on the phone with his mother as he listened to her voice shake as she described having had to call 911 and watching as his dad lost consciousness. He had taken a moment to send Amy a quick text to let her know that he’d drive himself to work, but when he did so, he really hadn’t known whether or not he would even make it to his shift.

His mother insisted that he stay in St. Louis unless his father’s condition worsened, but he was hesitant to do so. He didn’t want her to be alone at time like this, so unbeknownst to her he searched flights that would leave later in the same day so that he could fly out to be with her after his shift ended. He even began to pack a duffle bag. Having lost track of time, he had headed to work at a quarter to ten, only to have his mother call him as he walked into Cloud 9 to inform him that his father had suffered a second heart attack.

That’s when he knew he had to fly back home to Chicago, immediately. Which meant he would have to talk to Glenn and that was how he currently found himself in front of Amy, looking up at him with those brown eyes of hers full of worry.

“Oh my god. Is he okay?” She asked as she ran her hand up his arm.

“No, he’s not.” He responded, swallowing the lump that had begun to form in his throat. “I need to fly back home as soon as possible. I have to talk to Glenn about taking a leave of absence.”

“I’ll drive you to the airport.” She responded, stepping aside and pushing open the door to the back hallway.

“You don’t need to do that.”

“Jonah, please. It’s the least I can do for you.”

He watched as she pushed open the door to Glenn’s office without knocking.

“Ah yes, Ms. Dubanowski, I see Mr. Simms finally decided to show up to work. A call would have been nice.” Glenn scolded.

“Now is not the time, Glenn.” Amy snapped.

“My dad had a heart attack...He’s not doing so well, I have to fly out and be with my mom. I need to take a leave of absence.”

“Oh my gosh! Jonah! I’m so sorry, of course, take as much time as you need. Amy, you’re going to drive him the airport, right?”

“Yeah, I am. So I’ll be back in like, an hour. Or two.”

“Of course, of course. Jonah, make sure to keep us posted.”

Jonah nodded, before turning on his heel and immediately heading toward the store’s exit, Amy following behind him.

“Do you need to book a flight first or are you doing that at the airport?”

“I’ll do it at the airport.”

“Okay.I have to let Garret know he’s got to take over for me until I get back. I’ll meet you at your place.”

“Okay.”

“Jonah, I’m sure your dad will be okay.” She responded, giving him a reassuring smile.”

He wanted to believe her but he couldn’t help the feeling in his gut telling him otherwise.

* * *

She couldn’t help but feel awful for him. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how he felt, if it was her and she had been in his shoes, she wouldn’t even have come into work. She would have immediately left to be with her parents.

When she pulled up in front of his apartment, he was already outside waiting for her.

“I really appreciate this.”

“Jonah, please. It’s fine. Besides, I really don’t think you’re in the right state of mind to be driving. You haven’t stopped shaking since I first saw you this morning. You’ve done so much for me, for Emma, I can do this for you.”

“Thank you.”

“Stop, thanking me.” She whined.

The drive to the airport was silent, which unnerved them both because their drives were never quiet. They were always discussing something, or gossiping about the previous day’s work. This was different though. She knew there was nothing she could say that would be able to take his mind off of his current situation and make him feel slightly better, and that’s what got to her.

He had been able to make her smile during her lowest moments in the past few months, and here he was at his lowest, and there was nothing she could do to even try and make him feel better.

“Amy, JetBlue is terminal B, why are you parking?”

“Cause I’m walking you to security once you’ve got your ticket, duh.”

“You don’t -”

“I know I don’t have to do that, I want to, okay?”

She pulled up the ticket dispenser and pressed the button.

“At least let me pay for parking.”

“Jonah, I’ve got it and if you try to thank me again I’ll hit you.”

He laughed, quietly and she felt her heart flutter.

* * *

His one way flight cost a whopping four hundred dollars because it was so last minute and it would begin boarding in the next hour.

“Guess this is it.” Amy commented as they reached the nearly empty security line. “Have a safe flight.” She said as she wrapped her arms around him. He returned the hug, burying his face into her neck. It was honestly taking everything in him to not break down in the middle of the airport as he hugged her. She must have sensed that because she wrapped her arms tighter around him and he felt her stand the tip of her toes.

“Please keep me updated, okay? It doesn’t matter what time it is, I’ll have my phone waiting with me just in case you need me. Don’t hesitate to call me, I really mean it. You know that I love you and you’re my best friend so I’m going to be here for you.” She said softly as she ran a hand up his back and kissed his cheek.

When they finally pulled way, he hastily wiped at his eyes.

“I’ll text you when my flight lands.”

“Bye, Jonah.”

“See ya, Amy.”

He waved.

When he was through security, he looked beyond the metal detectors to see her still standing there watching. He gave her one last wave before heading towards his gate.

* * *

When Jonah’s name popped up on her phone while she was making dinner, she took a deep breath, bracing herself for the worst.

“How’s your dad?”

“When I got here they had him in surgery. They were waiting for him to regain consciousness after the first heart attack but he had the second one so they took him in after my mom called me to let me know about the second one. He’s been out of surgery for about four hours now, but I’m not sure. But he hasn’t regained consciousness yet. They’re saying it might be another day or two before he does. It’s gonna be a lot of recovery time after he does.”

“Jesus. Are they saying he’s going to be okay though?” She asked as she leaned against the counter.

“They really don’t know yet. When he had the first heart attack my mom had to perform cpr for ten minutes before his heart started beating again.”

“How’s she coping?”

“She’s heartbroken, Amy. My parents have been married their entire adult lives, mom loves him so much. It’s hard for her to see him like this.”

“How are you coping?”

“I’m not. I have to be here for my mom, I can’t have a breakdown in front of her, it’ll only make her feel worse. My brothers won’t be able to fly in until tomorrow because Charlie and his wife live in the UK, so their flights involve at least two connections because it’s so last minute so they won’t be arriving until at least eight a.m. and the earliest flight Greg could find was tomorrow at noon. I’m all she’s got right now. ”

“Jonah...”

“Hey, listen, I gotta go. I’ll call you again tomorrow, okay?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Bye.”

She set her phone aside when the call disconnected and took a deep breath before turning her attention back to the food she was preparing.

* * *

He hated seeing his mom so upset, especially because he knew there was nothing he could say to make her feel better. The best he could do was just hold her hand as she cried.

His parents had met in a Political Science course in college. His mother, Elizabeth was a history major and his father, Charles was a pre-law major. His mother had been a junior at the time and his father a senior, and they had ended up being paired off together for a project.

Jonah had heard the story of how his parents met and fell in love at least a hundred times over the course of his life.

All it took was two days of working on that research project together to have his mother blown away by his dad’s compassion and wit, and for his dad, it was his mother’s intellect and charm that had swept him off his feet. His mother had a presence that could light up an entire room.

Charles and Elizabeth Simms were quite literally, the definition the perfect marriage.

Of course, Jonah wasn't naive enough to think his parents were perfect, he knew they had their flaws, and he and his brothers had heard quite a few arguments growing up but the one thing he knew for sure was that his parents loved one another with every fiber of their being. The relationship he had witnessed growing up set the standard for his future marriage. If he couldn't love someone as much as his parents loved one another, they were not the right person.

He shook his head, pulling himself from his reverie.

“Mom.” He said softly, giving his mom a gentle shake. “Mom, go home. I’ll stay with dad.”

“Honey, no. I’ll stay here with him. For better or for worse. You go home. Shower. It's getting late. Come back in the morning once ”

Jonah could literally feel his heart clench at her devotion.

“It's okay, mom. I’ll stay with you.”

* * *

She was usually a heavy sleeper but this night was different. She wanted to be able to answer her phone if Jonah called and that meant she had spent the night tossing and turning. When she finally managed to fall asleep for at least an hour, she was jolted awake by the sound of her phone. Her heart sank as she looked at the clock on her bedside table and noted it was three a.m. There was only one person who would be calling her.

“Jonah?”

“He died, Amy.”

She could hear how choked up he was as he spoke.

“I’m so sorry.” She responded, feeling her stomach sink as she sat up in bed and turning on the lamp.

“Can you fly out here, please? I’ll pay for your flight if you need me to, I just...I need my best friend here.”

“Oh my god, of course. I’ll be on the next flight out, okay? Do you need me to stay on the phone with you while I pack a bag?”

“No, it’s fine...I need to get back to my mom. I’ll send you my credit card information.”

“Jonah, you really don’t have to do that, I can cover it.”

“Amy, please. Let me do this.” He responded, his voice breaking.

“Okay. I’ll call you when I’m at the airport, okay?”

She wasn’t going to argue with him. She couldn’t bring herself to, not when he had just lost his dad. Under any other circumstance, she wouldn’t have allowed him to cover her flight for anything, but this was different.

 

She had to make arrangements. Sighing, she pulled out her laptop and found the earliest flight out before calling Adam and asking him to come stay with Emma for the next few days. On top of that, she quickly went through her closet and pulled out all of the clothing she thought was appropriate before tossing it into a small carry on bag before quickly brushing her teeth and changing.

 

“Thanks for watching her under such short notice.” She said as she pulled the door open to find Adam still in his pajamas.

“Well, she is half mine so I have no other choice.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Anyway, thanks. I’m going to say goodbye to Emma. My Uber will be here in five minutes and my flight leaves in an hour and a half.”

She shut the door, leaving him on his own before entering Emma’s room and sitting down on the edge of her bed and shaking her awake.

“Mom, it’s four-thirty a.m., why are you waking me up?” Emma groaned.

“Honey, I’m gonna be out of town for a few days, your dad’s gonna be taking care of you until I get back, okay?”

“What? Why?”

“Jonah’s dad died and he asked me to come out and be with him for a few days.”

“Oh my god, that’s so sad.” Emma responded, sitting up.

“Tell me about it.” She responded, wrapping her arms around her daughter and giving her a tight squeeze. “Be good for your dad, okay? You know he’s not the brightest bulb in the box. I’ll call you when I get the chance, don’t be afraid to text me if anything goes wrong, okay?”

“Got it, mom. Tell Jonah I’m sorry about his dad. Give him a hug for me.”

As she rode her Uber to the airport, it crossed her mind that she should shoot a text in their Cloud 9 group message to inform everyone that she wouldn’t be making it in for the next few days due to the circumstances. She received several texts in response, all of them informing her to give their condolences to Jonah. She arrived at the airport and swiftly made it through security and through her gate. She called him just as she took her seat and let him know that her flight would be arriving in a little over an hour.

* * *

 

She disembarked the plane in Chicago, an hour and fifteen minutes later at nearly six-thirty a.m. She exited through the arrivals exit and spotted him leaning against a column, wearing sunglasses inside, before the sun was even up.

“Hi.” She said softly.

He gave her a slight nod before reaching for her bag. She reluctantly handed it over. She wasn’t going to press him, he would talk to her whenever he was ready. She followed him out into the parking lot and watched as he pulled out a pair of keys and suddenly the black Ford Explorer a few feet from them came to life. Amy watched as he pulled open the hatchback and slid her bag in before slamming it shut. She approached him and gently placed a hand over his.

“Hey.”

She could see the tears sliding out from beneath the glasses he was wearing and before she could stop herself, she wrapped her arms around him. She could feel his body wrack with sobs as he cried into her neck. She could literally feel her heart breaking as she held him, her own eyes beginning to overflow with tears.

It was always difficult to see someone you loved in pain, but this was different.

Jonah was always so positive, even in the face of adversity. He looked for the bright side of things and went out of his way to make someone feel better. The first day they had met, he had gone out of his way to make her feel better about the fact that her life had become so routine. That was how selfless he was. After knowing her for a few  _ hours _ he had used the stupid little glow in the dark stars she had complained about earlier that same day, to create one of the most memorable shifts she had worked in her ten years at Cloud 9.

She wanted to be able to tell him that everything was going to be okay, but she knew that it wouldn’t be, at least not anytime soon. The only thing she could do was be there for him when he needed her.

That was what you did for someone you loved.

“I’ve got you.” She murmured into his ear as she rubbed his back. “I’m here.”

It took another few minutes until he stopped shaking and when he pulled away she felt him kiss her forehead.

“Thank you.” He said quietly as she reached up and wiped at the few tears still streaming down his face. “My brother’s flight lands around eight, but he and his wife can take an Uber. I don’t want to leave my mom alone longer than it’s necessary.”

* * *

She had heard so much about Jonah’s mother from him but none of the stories she had heard lived up to the woman herself. Elizabeth Simms was as charming and warm as her son had described her. She was a small woman, the same height as Amy, with curly brown hair and these brown eyes that were borderline green in the right lighting.

The moment Jonah introduced them, his mother embraced her.

“I’m so sorry for your loss, Mrs. Simms.”

“Honey, please call me Liz. Thank you so much for coming out here to be with my little boy. He and his dad were close but his brothers were closer to him.” She responded quietly. “It’s going to be hard for him, especially with everyone that’s going to be around to give their condolences.”

“Oh no, please don’t thank me. He’s been there for me and my daughter so many times when I was going through my divorce, really this is the least I can do for him. He’s important to me.”

“Well honey, he really loves you so that doesn’t surprise me. You’re important to him, too.”

* * *

 

“Hey Joni.”

Jonah stood up from the chair he was occupying in the hospital waiting room. He embraced his eldest brother, Charlie before pulling away and his brother pulled Amy into a bear hug, without even being properly introduced.

“You must be Amy. I’ve heard so much about you from mom, who says Joni talks about you a lot when he calls.”

Jonah could feel his neck start to flush.

“That’s sweet.” He heard Amy say as his brother released her. 

“This is my wife, Laura.” 

He watched as his sister-in-law and Amy also shared an embrace before he joined Amy’s side. 

“Hey, Lo.” He greeted, giving his sister-in-law a kiss on the cheek. 

“Joni, I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah, we all are.” 

 

He felt Amy step closer to him and brush her fingers against his hand before taking it in hers. 

The little touches she had been giving him throughout the last few hours had come just as he needed some sort of comfort. It was almost as though she could sense when he needed to be reminded that someone was there for him and only him. 

“Greg’s parking the rental, has anyone gone back to the house yet to feed Pip?”

“Pip?” Amy asked from beside him.

“Pip is dad’s corgi.” Charlie replied.

“I fed him this morning and let him out. He won’t stop whining.”

Pip had been a present he had gotten for his dad for his birthday, three years prior. The two were practically inseparable from the moment they had met. Knowing how deep the bond between a dog and his master could run, it was hard for Jonah to hear the dog’s whines knowing that the person he was waiting for wouldn’t be coming back.

“Damn...Where’s mom?”

“She’s down in the morgue. She hasn’t been back up since they let her go down there.”

“You go down there yet?”

“No.”

“You going to?”

“I was in the room when he died, Charlie. I was there.” He responded, his voice cracking. He felt Amy give his hand a squeeze. His brother had spent their entire lives trying to tell him what to do and how to do it, so it was fitting that he would also try to tell him how to say goodbye properly. 

“Jesus, I didn’t know.”

“Of course you didn’t. Take one of the elevators and it’ll tell you what floor it’s on. I’ll tell Greg where to go when he gets here too.”

* * *

 

“Will you eat something, please?” Amy pleaded as she dropped a wrapped sandwich into his lap before giving him a gentle nudge. “Don’t lie to me because I know you haven’t eaten. I’ve been with you since basically seven a.m. and it’s two, and I know you didn’t eat anything yesterday either.”

He didn’t argue with her. He was too tired.

Instead he just unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite.

“I know it’s annoying to have me be on top of you, but you asked me to come out here to be here for you, and that includes making sure you eat.”

“I know, I know. I’m just...not hungry.”

“And that’s understandable, you don’t have to eat the whole thing just like...a quarter of it.”

“Fine.”

They were at a funeral home trying to get arrangements in order. He had volunteered for the task, having wanted to be away from his brothers. 

“Once we’re done here, let me drive us back to your mom’s place, okay? You’ve been up since yesterday.”

“Amy, I don’t need you hovering over me.”

“I know you don’t. But some sleep will do you some good, okay?”

“Okay.”

* * *

They were the first to arrive back to the house. 

Amy pulled into the driveway of the Victorian, not at all surprised at it’s grandeur. They exited the car and before she could head toward the trunk to retrieve her bag, Jonah had already beat her to it and was headed toward the front door of the house. She followed after him, nearly colliding with him as he stopped to check the mailbox.  When they entered the house they were immediately greeted by a small dog whom she assumed was Pip.

“Hey there, little guy.” She said as she squatted down and held out her hand for the dog to sniff. He did so hesitantly before excitedly rubbing himself against her. “He is so cute. How is it that you weren’t a dog person until recently?”

She watched as Jonah shrugged in response before she stood and took a look around the family photos on the walls of the living room. 

“Is this your graduation picture?” 

She could feel him watching her look at the pictures and when she pointed that specific photo out, she heard his footsteps approach her.

“That’s my dad.”

“You’re literally the spitting image of him, wow.”

“Please don’t remind me.” 

“I'm sorry.” 

“Come on, I’ll show you where my room is. You can stay there while you're here. I’ll stay in the den.”

“I'm not letting you give your room up to me so that you can sleep on the couch. I can stay at a hotel.”

“You're not staying at a hotel.” He retorted, leading her up the stairs and into the first bedroom they spotted once they had reached the landing. 

She watched as he dropped her bag into a chair beside the bed and removed his own bag from on top of the bed and tossed it onto the floor.

“I don't mind sharing the bed. It's not a big deal. You won't let me stay at a hotel, and I'm sure as hell not letting you sleep on a couch in your own house. So that's our only option.”

“You're really stubborn, did you know that?”

“Yeah, but I learned that from you.” She responded shrugging before dropping down onto the bed. Jonah dropped down beside her, so close that he was nearly on top of her.

She leaned her head against his shoulder and wrapped an arm around his waist.


	2. Chapter 2

Jonah’s family was so warm and accepting of her, making sure that she fit in with them and didn't feel uncomfortable, considering the circumstances. They really appreciated her going out of her way to be there for him in his time of need.

Since Jonah had moved to St. Louis, he had become detached from his family as he had been trying to branch out and live his own life when he made the decision to leave Chicago. She was obviously the first person he had considered a friend and that was why his siblings and mother knew so much about her. One of his brothers had even asked her about Emma.

She could understand though why it was that Jonah felt the need to start over. He was the black sheep of the family. With a lawyer for a father and a historian for a mother, his older brothers had taken in their parents footsteps and done well for themselves. Charles was a corporate lawyer and Greg was head of the Theatre department at Stanford. So for Jonah to have flunked out of business school after coming from a family of overachievers, it must have been even more upsetting than he had let on when he first told her.

She slipped the black dress she had hastily grabbed when she had packed her bag two days earlier and slipped it over her head before quietly exiting the bathroom and reentering the room she and Jonah were sharing. Aside from having awoken the previous morning facing one another with his arm around her waist and her hand on his chest, it could have been a lot worse.

Maybe it was because of the fact that it had been so long since either one of them had shared the bed with anyone or maybe it was the fact that she felt this need deep within her to constantly reassure him with her touch, but it hadn't been an award moment to wake up to. It had just felt so...natural. 

She found him sitting on the edge of the bed tying up the laces of his dress shoes and watched as his biceps tensed causing the sleeves of the white undershirt he was wearing to tighten around the muscle.

“I put your heels out for you.” He said as he stood and pointed to the pair of shoes in front of the bed side table.

“Thanks.” She replied before she walked over to them and stepped into them as he pulled on a black button down. “You missed a button.” She said and he huffed in response, irritated. “Here, I've got it.”

She walked over to him and unbuttoned his shirt up until she reached the outlier and buttoned it back up, smoothing out the collar once she finished.    


Amy looked up to find him looking down at her, his green eyes so intense she could feel the blush rise to her cheeks. 

“Thanks.” He said quietly as he reached for both of her hands. They stood there for a moment, both looking down at their intertwined hands.

“Joni, the -” Greg paused and they both turned to look at him. “Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt but the car’s here.”

“We’ll be right out.” Jonah responded, dropping her hands and walking toward the closet, grabbing both of their jackets before helping her into hers.

* * *

Jonah couldn't remember the last time he had stepped into a church. His parents having been interfaith they had decided it would be best to raise their children with knowledge of both religious backgrounds that made up their family. Neither of his parents was very religious to begin with, but they wanted their kids to know that if that was something they wanted as a part of their life, it was encouraged. So for the first fifteen years of his life, every Sunday started with a family breakfast before heading to Temple for the ten a.m. service, followed by the one p.m. service at the Catholic child his father had gone to has a child. Ultimately his brother Greg was the only one to actively choose to have religion as a part of his adult life. 

“This is such a beautiful church.” Amy murmured from beside him as they stepped inside.

He lead her to the pew at the front of the church offering her the seat at the end of the pew so that she didn't have to sit next to anyone other than him if she didn't want to.  Though he was sure she wouldn't have minded to sit between him and one of his relatives, the real reason he offered her that seat was so that he was the only one beside her.

His family had taken so well to her which was great but there was a part of him that felt a possessiveness over her and he couldn't completely understand why.

It wasn't like she was his significant other. She was just his friend and she was here to show him some support in his time of need.

Was it really that simple? 

Maybe it was the fact that his emotions were running high but he knew deep down that if he was with Amy, things would be alright.

* * *

“When I was in high school, my school put on a production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical  _ Company  _ and I was somehow cast as the lead role of Bobby. Yeah, weird show for a high school to do, I know. Opening night of the show while doing bows, I looked out into the audience and saw that the first four rows in the center of the audience were made up of dad’s partners from the firm and some of their clients. Being the shareholder with the highest percentage, he closed shop early and got everyone down there to see me in my show. It was my first big role and he made sure to show me how proud he was. You only have one dad in your life and I can honestly say that Charles Simms Sr. was the best father anyone could have ever dreamed of. He made sure to let us know he cared and he made sure that we knew that it was okay for us to share our feelings.” He paused, swallowing the lump that had begun to form in his throat. “That it's okay for men to cry, that it doesn't make you look weak when you do. He taught me to always stand up for what was right and to always go above and beyond for the people I loved. It’s not going to be easy to cope with his loss but I’ll look for his presence  in the moments of beauty in each day.”

Jonah took a deep breath before walking away from the podium and approaching the closed casket in front of it, running his hand along the sleek dark wood. 

“I’m sorry I didn't call more often after I left. Sorry I let you down by flunking out of business school.” He said quietly as he wiped at the tears that had begun to slide down his cheeks.  He sighed before reclaiming his seat beside Amy.

* * *

Charlie had two children, fraternal twins Charlie the III and Camilla, aged four. When it was realized that it was better to not have them present during the reading of their grandfather’s final will and testament, Amy gladly volunteered to stay back at the house and watch them.

“I’ll stay with you.” 

“Jonah, please.” She placed a hand on his chest as she looked up at him. “You're going. I’ll be right here when you get back. I really have no problem watching them, I haven't been around kids this young since Emma was this age and that was almost ten years ago. Be with your family for this.”

She watched as he nodded and she gave him a gentle pat on the arm.

“If they get a little too rowdy, they'll calm right down if you put on a Disney movie for them. The DVD tower in the living room has all of the movies stocked up.” Laura commented as she entered the foyer, the twins following behind her. “They're really not picky eaters either and neither has any allergies, so they’ll be fine with whatever's in the pantry. Liz likes to keep cookies for them in a jar on the counter.”

“Gotcha. I’ll shoot Jonah a text if I have any other questions, my girl hasn't been this small in a decade.” Amy responded, squatting down in front of the children. “Are you guys ready to have some fun?”

She smiled as the two looked at one another before turning to look at her and nodding excitedly.

“Alright babies, go ahead with Auntie Amy. Mummy and daddy will be back in a bit. Be good and don't pull Pip’s ears!” Laura remarked before giving both of her kids a kiss on the cheek, staining them with her red lipstick. “Thank you again, Amy.”

“It's my pleasure.” She nodded, watching as they left. 

“You guys wanna color?” She asked as she took one of their tiny hands in one of her own and lead them to the kitchen.

* * *

She had forgotten how funny four year olds could be. They wanted so much to be independent and to be perceived as grown up. She listened to Charlie and Camilla as they bantered with one another over the correct colors of the crayons, over how the words should be said, and whether or not they had to color inside the lines.  It reminded her that she wouldn't mind having a few more kids to experience this with again. 

“Amy, can we have milk please?” Camilla asked, not looking up from the picture of Rapunzel she was currently coloring in.

In the last hour she had spent with these children, it was clear that Camilla was the dominate one of the two, usually speaking on behalf of herself and her brother. It was adorable.

“Of course, sweetie. Do you guys want regular milk or chocolate?”

“Chocolate!” Both piped up excitedly.

She fixed them both a glass of chocolate milk along with a few pretzel rods to hold them over. When they finished eating both children declared they wanted to watch a movie so she set them down in the living room with  _ The Aristocats _ playing before tidying up the kitchen.

In the five minutes she was gone, she found them both asleep on the floor. She shook her head, bending over and scooping Charlie up in her arms before laying him down on the couch, doing the same with Camilla. As she turned to head toward one of the linen closets Elizabeth had told her she was free to raid, she started when she noted Jonah leaning against the door frame of the kitchen.

“I didn't hear you come in.”

“We just got back, I came in first, everyone else is outside talking about some stuff. How’d they behave?” He asked and having sensed what she was in need for he walked over to the closet pulled out a blanket and draped it over his niece and nephew, kissing both of their foreheads. 

“Honestly, they were perfect.”

“Just like they learned from their uncle Jonah.” He smirked.

She rolled her eyes as she smacked him on the chest.

* * *

They were sitting on the floor of his bedroom leaning against the wall, shoulder to shoulder as they passed bottle of vodka between them. They hadn’t been drinking for long, but Jonah was beginning to feel the liquor warm his body.

He didn’t really drink often; he preferred to be the most sober person in the room when he was drinking with others, just in case. This time though was different. It was just him and Amy. There was literally nothing that could possibly go wrong that would require either one of them to be sober. Besides, he had witnessed Amy’s drunk persona on several occasions; he figured it was only fair for her to see  _ his  _ drunk persona.

“When I turned twenty-one my parents out drank me at my birthday dinner. I was done after two shots of tequila.”

“I didn't get drunk for the first time until I was twenty-three because at that point Emma was already a toddler and sleeping through the night.”

“You had to grow up so quickly and had to miss out on some milestones. I can't imagine being in your shoes.”

He felt her shrug before taking a swig from the bottle and handing it to him. He brought the bottle to his lips, only to blow air into it causing it to whistle mousing which resulted in Amy bursting out into laughter beside him. 

“You know I watched you earlier, when you were putting Charlie and Cami to sleep...and I couldn't help but think how great of a mom you are and how lucky Emma is to have you. Just watching that simple interaction was so...satisfyingly calming. I don't know, when I saw you with them I just thought...just...wow.”

“Thanks…?”

“Like...it was just...I know that our kids will be in good hands with you.”

“ _ Our _ kids?”

It took him a moment to realize where he had slipped up. There was his subconscious playing games with him. That was why he didn't drink enough to get drunk often because he would always accidentally let something slip.

“Yeah, our, like my brothers’ and my kids.” He lied in attempt to cover himself as he turned to face her. She took a moment to process his words before giving him a small nod of acknowledgement.

“You want to have kids?” She asked, looking up at him. 

“Yeah, I want to be as great of a dad as mine was.”

“I’ve always wanted more kids after Emma, just not with Adam. There’s gonna be a huge age gap between Emma and any other kids I have. I mean, she’s almost thirteen and I kind of need a partner to have kids with.”

“You could always use a sperm donor.” 

He brought the bottle back to his mouth and drank out of it this time before passing it back over to her.

“That’s an option but I want my kids to grow up with their dad around and actually taking care of them. I’m not saying that Adam wasn’t there for Emma, but he just...he was like having another child to take care of. I was taking care of both of them as opposed to us co-parenting her. I did most of the work in raising Emma because he just...put himself first.”

“Adam’s an asshole. If it were me, I’d put you and Emma first. He didn’t realize how good he had it with you. You deserve someone who appreciates the beautiful woman you are and who knows how great of a mother you are but doesn’t let you take on the responsibilities on your own.”

He looked over at her when he said it, placing a hand on her knee and giving it a squeeze. Jonah looked back up at her to find her staring at him with a look he couldn’t quite place.

“Help me up. I have to pee.” She said suddenly and he shook his head and laughed, the first genuine laugh he had had in days. 

He took a second to compose himself feeling the alcohol start to take effect. Jonah stood, extending a hand to her.

“I'm drunk. One hand is not gonna get me off this floor.”

He extended his other hand and she reached out and took them. He pulled her up with a little too much force, resulting in her clumsily crashing into him and sending them toppling onto the bed.

Their faces were so close that if she exhaled, he would be able to smell the vodka on her breath. His hands had moved to her hips when she stumbled and now that she was on top of him they had yet to leave their place. Amy brought a hand up to his head, pushing his hair back.

“Oh Jonah…” She murmured softly, sadly,  as she ran her fingers through his hair, those big brown eyes he had come to fall for looking directly into his. 

She pulled away from him and walked out of them room.

* * *

She had been so close to kissing him.

So. 

Close.

His hands on her hips, the feel of his body beneath hers, the look in his eyes were all things that had fueled that urge in her more in that moment than at any other point in time since she had met him. 

But now was not the right time. Jonah was vulnerable. His father had just died. They were both drunk. She didn't want to make it seem like she was taking advantage of him. That was not how she wanted this moment to play out. There might be a chance neither of them would even remember anything come the morning. 

This was something that had to happen when both of them were in a clear state of mind.

Amy looked at herself in the mirror and sighed before taking a deep breath and splashing some water onto her face.

She took a moment to collect herself before returning to the room, surprised to find the light off. The only light in the room was coming from a children’s projector and it had little blue stars directed at the ceiling. She found him sitting up against the headboard looking up at the ceiling as he patted the space beside him. She slowly made her way over to him, careful not to lose her balance again. Walking when drunk was usually easier when she had another body to lean against. She settled up beside him before turning her head to look over at him for a moment.

This was the most relaxed she had seen him these last few days and she felt her heart flutter at the fact that he was slowly feeling a little better. It was just becoming so hard for her to continue to deny the feelings she had started to develop for him somewhere along the line, especially when she was now aware of how important she was to him.

His family knew about her before even having met her, they already accepted her into their clan because of how much he had talked about her to his mother. She was the first person he called to be at his side, the only person he wanted at his side during what was one of the worst points of his life. She had never had anyone need her on such a deep, emotional level as he did. It made her feel important…special.

It made her feel loved. 

* * *

Jonah could feel her eyes on him as he looked up at the projection of stars on the ceiling. He had found the little projector in his closet while she had been in the bathroom and plugged it in to see what it was.

When he turned off the light and found the stars projected up on the ceiling, he knew that had to be a sign. It was just like the first day they had met, when the power in the store went off and the glow in the dark stars he had spent hours putting up had made a difference in her day. All he ever wanted to do with her was make a difference in her day.

He finally met her gaze, his heart pounding as he looked down at her.

“You should have kissed me earlier.”  He said as he brought a hand to her cheek.

Before he knew it she was reaching for him and he was moving toward her. Their mouths met, gentle, tentative as they both tasted the vodka on the others’ tongue. One had wrapped around her back and the other wove its way into her hair, both of her hands on his face, their bodies as close together as they could possibly get. 

He found comfort in the fact that she had wanted to kiss him as badly as he had wanted her to.

They broke apart, leaning their foreheads together, Amy’s thumbs running along his cheek. 

“A moment of beauty?” She laughed, looking up at the stars.

“A moment of beauty.”

* * *

They spent entire night was spent just baring their all to one another. They talked until the sun came up and they were sober. They talked about their heartbreaks, their hopes, dreams. They laughed. They cried. They learned the little details about each other that no one else knew. 

“I want you to be happy. I hope you’ll take some time to heal when you go back home and that I’m going to be waiting for you to come back to the store with open arms and an open heart.” She said softly, as she toyed with his hair. There was a single curl that had come away from the rest of his hair. She’s seen it happen before when he sweat or if his hair got wet. She loved that curl. 

She was lying directly beside him and they were facing one another. He reached for her free hand and brushed his lips against it.

“I don’t know what I would do without you in my life, especially these last few days. I don’t think I could have gotten through them without you. Being around you makes me feel...stronger, it’s like you’re a part of me that’s missing.”

He watched as a blush rose to her cheeks and she smiled.

“I’m not used to hearing things like that. You know, I was with someone for so long who didn’t treat me like I deserved to be treated and it’s...hard to believe things like that because it’s so new to me.”

“Amy, you deserve to hear these kinds of things every day. You deserve someone that knows how lucky they are to have you and makes you feel loved everyday.”

“There isn’t a doubt in my mind that you would be that person, but is this really the best time for us?”

“There’s never going to be a right time. We have to be willing to take that jump together or not at all. That’s the simple fact. If there’s anything I’ve learned these last few days is that life is too short. We shouldn’t miss out on something beautiful because it might not be the right time. It’s always the right time.”

Jonah reached for her, pulling her on top of him and running his fingers along her back as she rested her head against the crook of his neck.

“Jonah?”

“Yeah?”

“The only reason I didn’t kiss you then was because I didn’t want that moment to be because we were both drunk and not fully present...but I realize now that it’s because I was also afraid that you didn’t feel the same way.”

“I never thought you would feel the same way.”

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

He wrapped his arms around her and held her until they both fell asleep.

* * *

Amy reluctantly pulled herself from Jonah’s arms and stood, grabbing some fresh clothes and quietly shutting the door as to not wake him. As she turned to head toward the bathroom, she nearly collided with Elizabeth.

“I was just coming to check on you two.” She said, giving her the once over. Amy could feel herself blush. It wasn’t like they had done anything other than spend the night talking, but it was embarrassing to get caught in a walk of shame like encounter.

“We did a lot of talking last night.” Amy responded, realizing how hoarse her voice sounded after having spent most of the night up. 

“Sure you did.” The older woman paused before continuing. “Jonah...Jonah’s always worried me. He’s always felt too much, more than anyone else I’ve ever met. He just genuinely wants the people he cares about to be happy, even if he sacrifices his own happiness for theirs.He puts everyone else before himself...he’s just cares so much, ya know? He’s always been that way.  I think that’s why he went to business school, to try and make me and his father happy, but we would have been happy with whatever  _ he  _ chose to do for himself. It made him unhappy and he up and left and that lead him to you...I’m glad he found you...please take care of him for me, okay?”

“I’m glad he found me too.”

“You’re a good woman.” Elizabeth said as she embraced her.

“Thank you.”

“I’ll get out of your way. I was just coming up to let you two know we were all going out for breakfast, but you two can spend the day catching up on the sleep you missed last night.” She winked, before heading back down to the first floor of the house.

* * *

“Your mom thinks we had sex last night.” He heard her whine as she dropped down onto the bed, freshly out of the shower.

“My mom’s a perv. You’ll see.” Jonah responded, pulling at a wet strand of her hair. 

“They went out to breakfast. You were still asleep so she said they’d just go without us so we could catch up on the sleep we missed.”

“Did my mom say anything else?”

“Nope." 

He watched as she wrapped one of the blankets around herself so that she was comfortably settled in.

“I’m gonna take a quick shower, try not to fall asleep while I’m gone.” 

It was funny that his mother was already assuming they were sleeping together when in reality they had yet to discuss what the next step to take from there was. They hadn't even acknowledged they had feelings for one another. Sleeping together was the farthest thing from either’s mind.

He showered and returned to his bedroom, finding Amy on the phone.

“Has your dad been making you dinner or has he just been buying you take out everyday? Okay, just throw out any left overs he saves because he's not going to eat them and I don't want them taking space in our fridge. I’ll go grocery shopping when I come home and I’ll make your favorite for dinner since you got the highest grade on your math test. Okay sweetie, I’ll make sure to tell Jonah you said hi. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Everyone alright?”

“It's a good thing in another year Emma will be old enough for me to really leave her on her own, instead of having to deal with her dad having to watch her.”

Jonah reclaimed the side of the bed he had previously occupied before showering, propping himself up on an elbow as he turned to face her.

“He’s just so...annoying...I'm sorry, I don't mean to go on about my ex.”

“No, you're fine. I don't ever want you to apologize for venting about something that irritates you.”

“Your mom told me that she's glad you found me. Me asked me to take care of you for her.”

“My mom’s a little overprotective of me because she thinks I'm soft.”

“Jonah, you are soft.” She laughed, bringing a hand up to his chest. He could feel his heart flutter as he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into him so that he was resting his chin on top of her head.

“What are we doing, Amy?” He asked quietly. “Are we gonna allow ourselves to grow together or are we just gonna pretend that there are no feelings here? I don't know how much longer I can do that. I know we already talked about it last night but I really need some clarification.”

* * *

“I’m just so afraid.” 

She could feel her voice start to crack as her lip started to quiver. She swallowed the lump in her throat before continuing to speak the words into his chest. 

“I don’t want things with us to end like they did with Adam. I don’t want you to hate me, I don’t want to make you unhappy. You’re too important to me for me to risk losing your presence in my life at all.”

“Hey…” He said softly, pulling away and bringing a hand up to her cheek. “I know this is just the beginning, but Amy, I’m not going anywhere. I’m here to work through whatever it is that we’re gonna face. We’re gonna fight it together. Something about being with you makes me feel like everything is going to be alright, it's like no matter what gets thrown at me as long as I have you by my side, i’ll be alright. I can only hope that I bring the same comfort to you.”

“You already do.”

She was overwhelmed. She hadn't expected them to bare their feelings toward one another any time soon. Her feelings for him had been suppressed for so long, since before she had even gotten divorced. There had just been something about him that had drawn her to him from the day they had met, just as he had been drawn to her. 

“We’re gonna be ok. I can feel it.”

“I already know you’re going to treat me better than anyone else because you already do that.” She replied, letting out a soft laugh as she stroked his cheek. “And you're good with my kid, which is already a plus. I don't have to worry about you two not getting along because you already do.”

“And I have a job, ya know? And my mom loves you, so no annoying parents to worry about on my end.”

She laughed again, feeling the weight lift from her shoulders.

“My dad might interrogate you when he finds out though...might want to find out your intentions.”

“Well, I’ll just tell him that you took advantage of me when I was vulnerable and kissed me. I'm sure he’ll be okay.”

She gave him a playful shove before wrapping her arms around his torso.

“I really like you, you know.”

“I know.”

* * *

A part of the heaviness in his chest had started to lift. He knew that it would be a while before the gap left by his father’s death would begin to close but he was also aware of the fact that he had something, someone to look forward to everyday. Someone to be there when times got too tough and to remind him of what was important. 

“I have something to offer you and just promise me that when I tell you, you won't turn it down right away.” 

They were on the plane back to St. Louis sitting side by side, Jonah sitting at the window and Amy sitting in the middle. They had purchased their flights at the airport and he had insisted that they find a flight that had two seats beside each other, which resulted in a three hour wait before they actually got on a plane.

“What is it?” She asked, raising an eyebrow at him as she lifted the armrest that was between them and rested her head against his shoulder. He casually draped an arm around her shoulders.

“My dad left me some money, it's enough to pay off my business school debt and go back to school if I want to, but I don't want to go back to school. I’m not good at it, I can’t thrive under that pressure. You on the other hand... I want to help you finish getting your degree.”

“Jonah.” 

He watched as she pulled away and looked up at him.

“Don’t ‘Jonah’ me. I’m serious, Ames. I know how hard you’ve been trying to finish these last few years and things haven’t been going your way and you had to put school back on hold because of the divorce, and moving out on your own. Don’t think of it as me just giving this money away to you, this is an investment toward our future. You get your degree and you can finally get somewhere other than Cloud 9 and wherever that is will help you provide more for Emma. Plus, you love learning and I know being out of school just frustrates you because you worry if you’re ever going to really get the chance to go back. I just want you to be able to finish one of your goals without having to worry about making ends meet. I just want to give you that peace of mind. I mean -”

He was cut off when she kissed him, feeling her smile against his mouth. 

“Do I look stupid?” She replied as she pulled away. “Passing on free money? No way, dude.”

Amy paused before kissing him again.

“In all seriousness though, thank you. I know you’re stubborn so I’m not gonna say no because the next thing I know there’s going to be an envelope with my name on it in my apartment with a wad of cash in it and then Emma’s gonna think I’m a drug dealer.” She laughed, bringing a hand up to stroke his cheek.

“To clearing the slate and starting over.” He responded, kissing her forehead.   
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and comments are always appreciated ;) also if anyone has any prompts feel free to send them my way

**Author's Note:**

> The title of this story was inspired by the song "Only Us" from the musical Dea Evan Hansen. :)


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